Sources can, at best, report what the situation appears to be at the time, they can't be expected to be clairvoyant. Likewise here: it may be entirely true that they have no intention of making a 3D Hobbit, but if there's some great technological breakthrough or policy change at the studio in the months before shooting actually starts it could change.

I do hope not, though. The Rohirrim, by Peter Xavier Price Elizabeth is the TORnsib formerly known as 'erather'

Sources can, at best, report what the situation appears to be at the time, they can't be expected to be clairvoyant.

This is true, but this is why these "sources" should probably avoid making guarantee's. Words mean things, when they put themselves in a position of saying they have the inside scoop and know what's going to happen in the future, then they have to be held to the standard they're holding forth for themselves.

Otherwise, they can just continue to say stuff and we just have to keep taking them seriously - because we never hold them accountable.

If I were a source and had the inside track, I would couch my proclamations of future events in probabilities, if I dared to speak at all.

Or were the sources just wrong? How would we know? They were "guaranteeing" that Jackson would direct The Hobbit -- not just that that was there was a plan for him to do so at the time the guarantee was made. Shouldn't we at least be told if these are the same sources who were "staking their reputations" on the realization of that event, so we can better assess the likelihood of their claims that The Hobbit will be a 3-D film? <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> We're discussingThe Silmarillion in the Reading Room, Aug. 9 - Mar 7. Please join the conversation!

...last week and was really, really impressed. I was getting myself psyched to go see it in 3D when it came out. A bummer to hear it won't live up to that.

As far as my overall opinion of 3D in general, I am yet to see a movie in 3D that was worth wearing the dorky glasses for. And I'm talking about the quality of the screenplay, not the 3D effects. I really WANT the technology to come of age and enhance the movie experience. I'm just not convinced it's there yet.

As far as the Hobbit in 3D? I'm in the camp that wants to see seamless continuity between H1 &2 and the other films. Please keep the look and feel of all five films the same. If you want to convert them and peddle them in a special 3D edition in five years or so, have at it.

I try to allow room for different opinions and discussion but this is beyond that now and its just simply bad information.

I heard Peter Jackson say twice in two days with my own ears that 'The Hobbit' would not be in 3D. One was in a room with 40 people discussing 3D cameras and the new digital red cameras that he had tried out and the merits of film and digital movie making. The group was discussing true film-nerd minutia and it was a definitive "no 3D" statement.

The next time was with James Cameron who was praising 3D while sitting with Jackson in front of 6,500 people and Jackson said plainly, again, that "The Hobbit" wasn't going to be in 3D.

That was good enough for me but since then, the internet ran with your unnamed sources and so, finally, I went to the guy who is directing the movie.

Guillermo responded to my question also saying it wasn't being discussed. You can twist his words to keep you hope or the credibility of your sources alive but in the context of the question, I am 100% satisfied that they are planning on a traditional film shoot, not 3D. They have no motive to deny or hide it.

Do you think these two guys are intentionally lying about this or do you think they don't know the truth? I can't figure that out.

I am done, completely, with any 3D discussion of this movie until GDT or PJ or Weta or Warners says otherwise. I have no choice but to believe in free will.

*stands up in the audience and says "yeah" to what MrCere just said*
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Do you think these two guys are intentionally lying about this or do you think they don't know the truth? I can't figure that out.

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Well said MrCere. Proponents of the "secret hidden 'there will be a 3D Hobbit' theory" you just lack any reason that makes sense that PJ and GDT would hide everything then contradict themselves later.Good... Bad..... I'm the guy with the gun.

To be honest, the fact alone that he seems to be implying that PJ and GDT lied to us is weakening Jim Dorey's claims for me. These two have always been so open and honest to us as fans that I refuse to believe they would try to deceive us in any way now. It would do no good, after all, to alienate their fans, and be of absolutely no future use. I do not suffer from LotR obsession - I enjoy every minute of it.

for years after LotR, in several forums. The problem is, that it took years for the project to actually see daylight. Several months passed, for example, after the source made his/her "guarantee" before the studio agreed that preliminaries should proceed. So, the timing could have become impossible for Jackson to direct, given his other obligations; GdT could have suddenly become available and interested; Jackson could have changed his mind; many things could have happened not foreseen by the source (or Jackson himself, for that matter) in December 2007.

Yes, I agree that the source was unfortunately immoderate in his/her language, but I can easily imagine that it could have been the intention of everyone involved at one point, and impossible some months later. These things happen. The Rohirrim, by Peter Xavier Price Elizabeth is the TORnsib formerly known as 'erather'

I don't know why GDT said that. Or why he didn't just say no - knowing what you guys are discussing on here. I mean, if he says no - thats it. No discussion is there? He knows his answer was sidestepping. No doubt about - it sounded political.

So why did he say it? My guess would be to save some boom for their own cannon when they announce it. Marketing acts strangely sometimes.

Actually, in all my interactions in the site I may have gotten myself in trouble because of my enthusiasm but not any sidestepping.

As a co-writer and director of this film (who works with the design teams, costume teams, creature teams, VFX teams every day of the week), let me be very clear one more time: we are not talking about 3D, we are NOT writing the screenplay for 3D right now- we are hiring my DoP Guillermo Navarro to shoot the film and we are not discussing 3D with him either or with WETA digital or WB or anyone else.

That should be a little less sidestepping, I hope.

If after AVATAR the market may change and demands are put upon us, etc that is in the future.

But if such things happen and we start discussing 3D down the line, I'll let it be know here at TORN because that's the proper way of doing things.

But make no mistake- I've been living in NZ for almost a year now and we have not been discussing 3D.

so very much for clearing this up, it is as we all suspected. I for one certainly hope no "demands" are ever made. And I might be wrong, but isn't this the first word we've had that Navarro will indeed by the cinematographer on the film? Exciting stuff, some of his work on Pan's was simply breathtaking (especially during the golden throne room scene ). All you have to decide, is what to do with the time that is given to you...

Or will you be discliplining your sources? And what does your "personal guarantee" mean -- are your readers due some sort of refund now? <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> We're discussingThe Silmarillion in the Reading Room, Aug. 9 - Mar 7. Please join the conversation!

for clearing that up once and for all. That was how I had understood it from the beginning, and I am sorry some people are reading more into your words than that. I do not suffer from LotR obsession - I enjoy every minute of it.

Thank you for giving us the most definitive reply possible on this!
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It has always seemed obvious to me that if the situation with 3D should develope explosively we would see (technology allowing) 3D versions of the whole pentology in theatres soon enough - but not necessarily at the first release of the Hobbit. Consistency with the trilogy has always been made a key factor by you and PJ for this production and I am sure that this is fully trusted.

Too many of those using this site and others seem to think that film making can involve absolute commitments too the process and the final results - even cast iron contracts cannot guarantee those absolutes - impossible in any creative project. You are steering a huge enterprise lasting 3 to 5 years into the future (with DVD and Blurays) and the future can never deliver absolute certainty, just true belief and intentions.

I for one hope it gives you great confidence that most Tornadoes on this most demanding site believe enough in your personal integrity to defend it without a second thought.

In practical terms, even if 3D should become a major priority, I would think that the widest audience would be found overall by also running 2D screenings - there would have to be 2D versions for DVD/Bluray surely? I know if no technology yet that could deliver any acceptable 3D on home systems? And it does have visual distortion issues for some.

I guess us die hard trilogy fans just want to be able to watch the same world in the same way for 24 continuous hours (with pee breaks) as Ian McKellen said in his U tube BFI video, the moment you release Hobbit number 2! A future I hope to see.

-is defending what he believes to be true. He is a knowledgeable, passionate film-lover and perhaps his source in this case is also someone that would love to see the HOBBIT films happen in 3D. Perhaps so-

Jim has been right in the past and he may be right in the future. He is dead-on about the imminent conversion of film into an expanding 3-D field - at least in most blockbusters and I know of, at least, 4 or 5 major filmmakers preparing 3D films right now. Some of them seriously artistic and ungimmicky!!

I've seen AVATAR and I was absolutely blow away by it!! I myself expect to explore 3D soon enough- it is the future, just not my immediate future.

I promise to you guys and Jim to let you know if anything changes in that or any regard,,,

And no- neither David Tennant nor Tom Cruise are Bilbo and we are not redesigning Gollum.

and I am pretty glad, 'ecstatic' in fact to hear you saying those 'rumored' actors are not Bilbo, would have liked to hear however that Cruise isn't involved at all. If he isn't involved at all, it would pretty much confirm my post on the same topic about Mr.Cruise though.

Anyway good to hear also we are sticking to the same Gollum model, i thought the interpretation of him in the LOTR film trilogy to be fairly spot on, with Tolkien's descriptions of the creature in the books. You would naturally imagine more strands of hair on him, but I have every faith now that in my own head that too is cleared up.

As for 3D, I can't say I would have been in full favour of it, at-least not yet. As here in Ireland (at-least close to me) we don't have any 3d enabled theaters yet, sure we had/have IMAX, but one IMAX theater has closed in Belfast, leaving only one IMAX theater in the whole of Ireland which is in Dublin.

It reminds me of Nintendo's logical stance in the Video Game market in 2005, with Sony and Microsoft jumping into bed so early with HD T.V enabled video game consoles, whereas Nintendo remained with SD output for the Wii video game console, the likes of Zelda and Mario played perfectly normal and was immensely enjoyable in SD and proved people didn't need HD (yet) to enjoy them. Not only that, with HD ready T.V's in Ireland (or maybe worldwide) people hadn't jumped as quick with high def format and in 2006- SD remained (and probably still does) in most peoples homes.

Frankly, I don't get too invested in issues like 3D, how many dwarves, or who will play Bilbo. Dang, I've go so many decisions I have to make in my life I'm relieved when I can let someone else who seems pretty competent make some.

But I love how accessible and open you are. I'm sure I'll love The Hobbit. Or not. It's really not that important in my life's scheme of things. But I bet I'd like you a lot. And I can't wait to have a chance to peek (through dvd extras, interviews, etc) into the creative process you follow for this project.